Congressman Davis defends vote to reopen government

13th District Congressman Rodney Davis doesn’t believe he abandoned his principles by voting to reopen the government. The Taylorville Republican says he didn’t get all the victories he wanted out of the measure approved late Wednesday. But he says there were some, including a change in the Affordable Care Act that requires verification of income.

Davis says that could save taxpayers billions by giving federal subsidies to those who actually deserve them. But during a conference call with reporters Thursday, the Congressman says he didn’t succumb to pressure, and give GOP primary opponent Erika Harold a chance to attack his voting record:

“I don’t know anybody running for any office in a district like mine that would want to be for keeping the government shutdown in place and not working together in a bipartisan way to govern. Cause that’s what we’re sent to do. I’m not going to sacrifice my core values and my core principles to put together solutions. But obviously, that’s what the American people wanted and that’s what we did last night.”

Davis says he’ll co-sponsor a bill to ensure no more government shutdowns… in which a continuing resolution to support government at current funding levels would kick in. Operations are now funded through January 15th. Davis says with this shutdown over… he expects more media focus on the large hikes in health insurance premiums as part of the President’s Health Care law, which he calls a ‘disaster.’